Vallenhall
The Margraviate of Vallenhall is the ancestral home of the noble House of Vallian, having stood for nearly two millennia since its original foundations during the rise of Thoradin and the end of the Troll Wars. History In the closing weeks of the legendary Troll Wars, the thoughts of many Human tribal leaders began to turn towards the future. Could Elvenkind truly be trusted? Moreover, would the Amani remain subjugated and silent for very long at all? How would this fledgling experiment, this 'Kingdom of Arathor', defend itself in the future? Such questions demanded answers, or at the very least practical theories. In very large part, they led to the creation of Vallenhall. The Chief of a small but clever, strategically-minded tribe known as the Valtheims saw the answer as quite simple. Taking his family and worldly posessions, he set his people to building walls and paving roads. Though he did not live to see its completion, within the next two generations his tribe had established a fortified castle, nestled away in the mountains. While hidden, it provided a position of excellent command over neighboring lands, serving as a hub for all walkable roads through the mountain range. While this made Vallenhall, as it came to be known, a quite profitable hub of trade between men and elves, it also gave the owner of Vallenhall unprecedented capability to strike out at either and retreat to safety. Capitalizing on this advantage, this Chief's descendants became masters of the horse and saddle, training some of the best cavalry a Human Kingdom would ever have the pleasure of commanding. Claiming to be the direct descendants of this ancient tribal Chief, the Vallians have overseen Vallenhall as its Margraves for as long as anyone could care to remember. Culture In the days of its founding, the men of Vallenhall were culturally indistinct from most of their neighbors, having been just one more tribe integrated by Thoradin in the time before the Troll Wars. While today more far-flung isolationist branches of Humanity such as the Mynydd would still know them as foreign, Vallenhall has more closely maintained the ancient traditions of their forebears than any other people integrated into the great Kingdoms. In essence, the culture seen in Vallenhall is very close to that of the largely pagan early Empire of Arathor, while also carrying the personal myths and customs of the Valtheim tribe. While Vallenhall had always been seen by southerners as simply the northernmost reach of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, in reality its people have never seen themselves as vassals or wholly subservient. The use of the ancient title of 'Margrave' rather than the more modern 'Marquis' is just one sign of their culturally distinct nature, though much larger distinctions exist in terms of their faith and personal governance. They may no longer use their original tribal naming convention, but the people of Vallenhall still hold very closely to its core. Religion In terms of local religion and faith, the men of Vallenhall have historically been somewhat secretive. For as long as anyone can recall, the Valtheim tribe of their founding hosted a small cabal of mystics of some sort. Over the years, these became established as a monastic order known as the Brothers of the Cindic Reach. With a recurring theme of flame veneration, the Cindic Reach rooted themselves in a tucked away fortified monastery in a valley which would come to be known as the Ashen Walk. To outsiders, men of Vallenhall will often pass off the Cindic Reach as simply their local brand of Light worship; for what was fire but man's most primitive understanding of Light? In truth, the Brothers of the Cindic Reach are a faith all their own; a faith which the locals of Vallenhall devoutly share. At the core of Cindic teachings are the veneration of the 'inner fire' of men, the promotion of free agency, and hero worship of great ancestors. In the teachings of the Cindic Reach, all sentient peoples play host to an inner flame, often referred to as their Igna in Old Arathi for 'true flame'. A person's Igna is very much like their soul, though it combines the idea of 'life essence' with that of 'will to live'. In the Cindic Reach's teachings, a man dies only once his Igna is extinguished, and his will to live is snuffed out. This is not necessarily seen as a bad thing; the Cindic faith encourages self reflection between periods of hardship and trial, with the ultimate purpose of deciding when one's Igna has reached the natural point at which it must burn out. Often the Brothers of the Cindic Reach teach that it is the duty of young men to feed their Igna, chasing their desires and manifesting their will upon the world. Once one's Igna is matured, generally at the same time the body is matured, it becomes his duty to feed unto another; to form a family or follow a cause. Great men born with powerful Igna are those who create a cause which others will then serve, spreading their will and their fire to many men other than themselves, perhaps over many generations. Through this belief emerges Cindic hero worship, rooted in viewing great men of the past as still living on through the flame they have passed to men who yet follow their cause. Often shrines will be built to great men of the past and hushed prayers will be given over burnt offerings, asking for their flame to be born anew, or a spark of their strength to be visited back upon oneself. On the whole, the Cindic faith is an ancient one which has carried many traits of human tribal origins forward for two millennia, forging the people of Vallenhall into strong, loyal, if a bit isolationist folks. Actual members of the Brothers of the Cindic Reach are few in number, and most of them are retired Knights or warriors who have decided it is at last time for them to lay down their flame. Hushed rumors exist in the lands near Vallenhall of the upper echelons of the Brothers, though. Of Knights who's flames never go out. Men who fight and die, only for their wounds to be cleansed in flame and their bodies to rise up once more, their Igna too powerful for the death of the body to stop them. No foreigner could ever confirm if such magical feats have been achieved by members of the Cindic Reach. No man of Vallenhall would ever say to an outsider. Language For the most part, the people of Vallenhall speak the same Common tongue as their other human cousins. The key distinctions in their manner of speech arise in the few cases of Vallenhall locals keeping Old Arathi terms alive. In almost all cases these words are used purely in an esoteric, religious or spiritual context however and will therefor almost never come up in conversation. One case of linguistic peculiarity in the people of Vallenhall arises in the name of their resident liege Lords, the Vallians. Within their own dialect of Common, 'Vallian' is a word with a meaning unto itself; it is used to refer to something being 'of Vallenhall' or made 'in Vallenhall'. If a man wishes to refer to swords produced in Vallenhall, he would say 'Vallian swords'. To outsiders, this comes across either as flagrant misuse of the noble family's name or as absurd worship of the family itself. In truth, the house received its name from the ancient use of the term. The first Chieftain of the Valtheims had no family name, wearing instead his title of 'The Valiant'. When he and his children assumed total leadership of the tribe and founded themselves in what would become Vallenhall, the tribe awarded their Chief with the name 'Vallian'. Rather than a traditional family name, the House of Vallian wear their surname as something more like a title or badge of office signifying their position as greatest of the men of Vallenhall, first in leadership and glory. Outside of common practice, it is considered traditional to use Old Lordaeronian for some formal occasions and important situations. Originally this was a concerted effort on the part of the Valtheims and their later Vallian descendants to deal more peaceably and easily with their southern Lordaeronian peers, but ironically became another sign of cultural distinction as the Lordaeronian language grew and changed, leaving the men of Vallenhall utilizing an archaic form of the language. While Old Lordaeronian is not used in any casual or conversational context in Vallenhall, it has sometimes been utilized by members of the Vallian family for the purposes of ceremony or response to foreign entities. Most famously the ancient Margrave Jeron Vallian supposedly used it as a formal order to his forces. When faced with a tribe of Forest Trolls who defiantly declared in their tongue that they would never lay down their arms, the Margrave was quoted as having said to his men, "Gå och ta dem." A rough translation would be, "Go and take them." Law For the most part, the codified laws of Vallenhall adhere closely to those of Lordaeron. Many of the same things are considered illegal, and will be met with similar punishments. Murder, theft, and unauthorized dark magic mark three of the more commonly recognized classes of crime. However, Vallenhall makes a number of distinctions in each of these cases which must be kept in mind. In the matter of the first, duels of honor have always been permitted in Vallenhall. The only condition dictated by the law is that at least four people not involved in the duel must be present to witness the agreement on the terms of the duel, and the duel itself. Otherwise, the combatants are free to set their own terms. Theft and unauthorized use of dark magic can both be found to have exceptions during such duels of honor. For example, if one participant in a duel of honor is understood to be capable of dark magic- but has no intention of using it outside of the duel- it is considered acceptable within the confines of the law for such magic to be used during, so long as it does not produce any lasting magical effects which would extend beyond the duration of the duel itself, either by submission or death of the other participant. As well as this, it is acceptable within the law to take the bodily possessions of a man who has challenged you to a duel of honor and lost. It is, however, considered courtesy to leave things of great value for the loser's family. The only other noteworthy difference in the manner in which Vallian law is carried out is the presence of trials by combat. As with some other states on Azeroth, Vallenhall permits men accused of high crimes such as treason the right to a trial by combat to prove his innocence. Unlike many other places however, Vallenhall sets strict rules for the selection of champions in a trial by combat and the ways in which one can be conducted. For example, if the accused is considered an able-bodied man in combat, roughly equivalent to his accuser, they must duel without the selection of champions. A champion may only be selected in a situation where there is an obvious disparity in the capabilities of the two parties. Perhaps the most noteworthy case of this rule being brought into practice was during the time of Karl II Vallian. A blacksmith from within the Holdfast had sold weapons to a band of trolls in hiding in the mountains, directly resulting in the deaths of citizens. Thus he was charged with conspiracy to murder as well as treason against his liege lord. Upon the blacksmith requesting a trial by combat and insisting on fighting it himself, Karl II was forced to appoint a champion; for Karl II was too skilled to evenly match himself against an untrained peasant, he was demanded by honor and law to appoint a champion of less skill than himself to duel the blacksmith. Armed Forces In better days, the fighting men of Vallenhall were considered some of the most disciplined soldiers in all the Eastern Kingdoms. By commonly held legend, never once did a man in Vallian colors so much as break rank during the Second or Third Wars. Sir Keak Vallian was regarded as one of the most influential strategists of the Great War era, and as such the men of his own household and homeland were nothing short of stellar in their training and decorum. This was all, however, in the golden days of Vallenhall. Following the fall of Lordaeron and the defection of Quel'thalas to the Horde, Vallenhall lost all outside sources of trade. Many of the levies and recruits who Sir Vallian had forged into a deadly force broke away or died in the following years. For over a decade, Vallenhall has been cut off from trade and unable to raise more men. The once illustrious Household's forces have been in a state of decline for ten years, only recently seeing any chance to rebuild themselves. With Vallenhall's recent admittance into the Autarchy of Aurelia, alongside Lord Vallian's oath of fealty to Telriah II Embershield, new trade lanes have finally been opened. Though it has taken a number of months, as of the reclamation of Lordaeron by the Alliance, Vallenhall has finally regained roughly the number of troops it had prior to the beginning of the Second War. Organization In the days prior to the Great War era, Vallenhall's military organization was relatively loose. The household force was kept at or roughly around two thousand men, divided between riders and infantry. Equipment was not standardized and training was hardly uniform; with the only exception being the Knights resident to the Highland Way, personal men of the Margrave. Keak's tenure as Margrave saw a drastic change to the structure of Vallenhall's military; namely, what came to be called the 'divisional system'. Within the divisional system Vallenhall's troops were divided into three divisions, each consisting of seven hundred men. Within each division were seven companies, with a hundred men per. Broken down from this point, men were trained in the combined use of pike, sword, and rifle. Each division is led by a division Commander, each company by a Captain. Of each Division, five companies were infantry, while one each were dedicated to rifles and artillery. Each Division trained a force of light cavalry divided from their infantry, referred to as their wing, and typically employed one company's worth. The Margrave himself led Vallenhall's illustrious heavy cavalry, comprised of her Knights and expert men-at-arms, at peak count standing at six company's worth; nearly a full division. Divisional Commanders The three Divisional Commanders of Vallenhall are handpicked by the Margrave, men and women who have served with distinction. They are trusted to enact the Margrave's commands in the field and carry out his discipline while on the march. Commander of the First Division: Rufio DeLeon. I Company(Active) II Company(Active) III Company(Active) IV Company(Active) V Company(Active) VI Company(Active) VII Company(Active) Commander of the Second Division: Ashford Gearhart. I Company(Active) II Company(Active) III Company(Active) IV Company(Active) V Company(Active) VI Company(Active) VII Company(Active) Commander of the Third Division: Elizabeth Vallian. I Company(Active) II Company(Active) III Company(Active) IV Company(Active) V Company(Active) VI Company(Active) VII Company(Active) Equipment & Troop Types Under Keak Vallian's leadership as Margrave of Vallenhall, uniform equipment standards were implemented for the standing divisions of Vallenhall's army. Funded by the great profits of his southward conquest as well as lucrative trade lanes, high standards were set for the decorum of Vallenhall's soldiers. While starved for resources in the past decade, Vallenhall's admittance into Aurelia has seen its Margrave given the supplies needed to once more begin implementing these standards of equipment. Infantry(Pikes) The backbone of Vallenhall's forces, the mixed pike and riflemen. Drilled extensively and notoriously fearless in their steady, unfaltering marches forward. Keen discipline and hard nerves are their greatest strengths. * Cuirass, light gauntlets, jack-chains, and kettle helmet accompanied by bevor/gorget. * Padded gambeson. * Vallenhall Pike: Standard length of 12', weight of 5.7lbs. Seasoned ash haft, steel head and langets. * Vallenhall Bagarre: ''A local style of arming sword. Standard length of 2.3', weight of 1.7lbs. Straight blade. Infantry(Rifles) Intermixed with pikes, Vallenhall's riflemen were early adopters of Dwarven technology, rapidly making it their own. Drilled even more extensively than their pike-wielding comrades, these riflemen keep steady rate of fire at all times. * Cuirass, light gauntlets, and kettle helmet lacking in bevor/gorget. * Light padded cloth coat worn underneath the cuirass. * Vallenhall ''Hartson: ''Locally designed longrifle. Standard length of 62", weight of 8lbs. * Vallenhall ''Parvus Bagarre: ''A shortened variant of the ''bagarre, ''standard length of 2', weight of 1.3lbs. Officer(Pikes) Picked from the most tactically minded of pikeman recruits, the pike officers are outfitted with halberds: shorter than the pike, but more versatile, and lethal to cavalry and armored enemies. They serve to direct units of pikemen in the field. * Halfplate cuirass with included arm protection and crested full helm with bevor/gorget. * Colored sash denoting company and rank, surcoat denoting division. * Vallenhall Halberd: Standard length of 8', weight of 4.5lbs. Seasoned ash haft, steel head and langets. * Vallenhall ''Bagarre: Pike officers often add personal decoration to their bagarre, ''such as hilt accompaniments. Officer(Rifles) The rifle officers of Vallenhall are known as 'marksmen' commonly, but are often referred to as 'keepmen' within Vallenhall's own ranks. Their heavy outfitting is due to the fact that they often occupy the flanks of rifle formations, and are the first to receive an enemy charge meant to sweep rifles off the field. They set the rate of fire for the rest of the rifles on the field, and death is all that would stop them. * Fullplate cuirass with greaves and crested kettle helmet including customized bevor/gorget. * Grenadier's sash, both for equipment and denoting company rank. Surcoat denoting division. * Vallenhall ''Tall Hartson: A slightly longer, sturdier variant of the Hartson with greater range and accuracy. * Vallenhall Bagarre: ''Rifle officers carry standard-sized ''bagarre, ''rather than the ''parvus used by standard rifles. Heavy Cavalry Personally trained and led in the field by the Margrave, Vallenhall's heavy cavalry are its pride on any battlefield. Relying not just on brute force but on perfect timing and strong momentum, the heavy cavalry will herald the turning point in any major conflict in the field, initiating enemy routs with their thunderous charges. * Fullplate armor, including full helm. * Pure bred Vallenhall warhorse, armored to blunt weapons aside. * Two Vallenhall McKellers: ''A locally designed handgun, sometimes called the 'dwarf hartson' or 'short hartson'. Standard length of 13", weight of 3lbs. The first of the two is intended to be fired on-charge before the lance is drawn, while the second is held for a potential withdrawal and second charge. This tactic has made Vallenhall's heavy cavalry almost unrivaled when compared charge-to-charge against any other force. * Vallenhall Lance: Standard length of 8', weight of 5lbs. Seasoned ash haft, mastercrafted steel tip. Outfitted with banner or ribbon denoting rank and personal heraldry in the case of Knights. * Vallenhall Cavalry Saber: The favored cavalry sword of Vallenhall. Standard length of 3', weight of 2.3lbs. Standard three inches of the tip's spine are sharpened into a usable false edge. Light Cavalry The scouts and accompanying cavalry of Vallenhall, the light cavalry serve many myriad uses in the field. Chiefly they serve in outriding and scouting roles, but during pitched battle they are often used to harass heavier, slower enemies or chase off enemy rifles or archers. * Padded leather armor, without helmet but including bevor/gorget affixed to the collar. * Non-pure bred Vallenhall horses, unarmored and more accustomed to scouting than combat. * Four Vallenhall ''McKellers: ''Carried in saddle holsters on either side of the rider, Vallenhall light cavalry are trained to cycle through their four light firearms while forming a constantly moving ring, a formation allowing for a constant rate of fire from horseback and enabling them to harass and pursue enemies relentlessly. * Vallenhall Light Saber: A lighter variant of the cavalry saber. Standard length of 2.6', weight of 2lbs. Traditionally given a longer false edge. Forlorn Hope Led by Vallenhall's most veteran soldiers yet comprised of its most unruly young men, the Forlorn Hope are an outstandingly elite unit of infantry- occupying the spot of the VII Company of each Division. These men use both blade and gun in tandem and are the only offensive infantry unit Vallenhall raises, being utilized primarily in the first breach of sieges. * Cuirass with padded leather and cloth accompaniment, crested helm for leading officers. * Vallenhall ''Hartson: Utilized more roughly and under more duress than the firearms carried by their traditional counterparts, the Forlorn Hope's Hartsons are often affixed with bayonets. * Vallenhall Bagarre: The favored sidearm of the Forlorn Hope is the traditional arming sword of the other infantry. * Zweihander: Some members of the Forlorn Hope favor large, two-handed blades to aid in hacking apart defensive spear formations and the men behind them. Generally these are not manufactured in Vallenhall. Tactics Up to the time of Keak Vallian's ascension as Margrave, Vallenhall utilized fairly direct, simple tactics that were of average design for their time and location. Heavy armored Knights, lightly armored infantry, primarily spear and pikemen with ranks of archers, while heavy cavalry served as a powerful reserve for breaking enemy formations. This all changed drastically with the new Margrave; so much so that even in twenty years of drilling, re-training, and preparation, he could never have been certain his men would readily adapt in the field. On the field during the Second War, Lord Vallian brought something largely unheard of in its time, but later to be adopted en mass by the Alliance military: Mixed unit tactics. Keeping solid ranks of pikemen and halberdiers at the core, he winged his troops with ranks of riflemen drilled in firing by line in the rank and cycling to the back. Should the enemy charge, rifles integrated with the outer ranks of pikes and swords, making them essentially invulnerable to enemy cavalry; even the famously aggressive and maneuverable worgs of the Orcish Horde were entirely incapable of breaking apart the formation. Infantry Tactics Having rewritten the rules for land based warfare as it was, the Margrave codified the tactics which would be employed in the future by Vallenhall's troops for the purposes of training his officers. The core of most of it, he would call 'The Copse'. The copse- meaning roughly a grove or group of trees constituting a small forest- is the operational name for the standard infantry formation of Vallenhall, around which their field tactics are planned and prepared for. On the field, pikemen form a solid core which is referred to as the 'body' of the copse. Shallow ranks of riflemen stand directly in front and to the sides of the body, while deep ranks of more heavily armored marksmen stand at each of the four corners of the body. The rifle and marksmen ranks are positioned in what is called the 'field' of the copse. Upon coming into range of the enemy, the rifles will begin setting into their fire. Marksmen particularly target more heavily armored or important groups of enemy infantry, those which seem likely to contain leadership. The body of the copse levels pikes at rest. Against the sheer volume of firepower, enemy infantry are unable to advance quickly enough to survive the distance, being broken and haggard by the time they even reach the field of the copse. During the Second War, Orcs in full sprint would lose half their number before getting into fighting distance. When enemy cavalry moves to charge the rifles, they fall back by paces into the edge of the body of the copse as the pikemen bring their pikes to braced level; earning the name of the formation with their veritable forest of sharpened steel. During its time in the field, never once did a Vallenhall copse encounter a cavalry force capable of breaching the deadly forest's first ranks. As this occurs, the marksmen at each corner of the cops brace as well, essentially forming the outline of a simple castle. They take the role of defensive towers at the corners, firing into ranks of cavalry that crash against the pikes to their sides, trimming them down and usually breaking them away. By these combined efforts, the Vallian men remained undefeated in the field. Cavalry Tactics Led by the Margrave himself in the field in the case of the heavy cavalry, and the Divisional Commanders of Vallenhall in the case of the light, Vallenhall's cavalry has been held to exceedingly high standards; and used to devastating effect in the field. The historical role of light cavalry in any army has always been as outriders, messengers, scouts, and very light skirmishers. Often they will serve to chase enemy archers or other light forces unequipped to fight in prolonged melee off the field. In Vallenhall this remains somewhat true, but the advent of gunpowder combined with the Margrave's keen use of it have made Vallenhall's light cavalry something much more fearsome. Equipped with light firearms- multiples to each rider, carried in saddle holsters for rapid drawing- Vallenhall's light cavalry are actually deceptively well equipped to tear apart heavily armored enemy infantry. Of course with accuracy taken into account they are rarely great destroyers of enemy formations; not with their destructive power, at least. Trained to approach the enemy at a light canter, as if engaging to charge, the light cavalry will then wheel in on themselves, forming a hollow circle and moving within it, akin to the image of the snake eating its own tail. As each man passes the enemy on his side of the circle, he fires. On his way around, he reloads. In doing this, the light cavalry establishes a constant rate of fire, even faster than most rifles on foot. While this will never kill an entire unit of heavily armored men, it will invariably kill some of them. Often, enough to incite the rest into reckless charges. Presuming this baiting of the enemy infantry succeeds, the light cavalry will lead out the enemy, before galloping away. The timing here is crucial, for they must remain at their canter long enough to convince the enemy they can be caught, and engage their gallop only once it is too late. Too late for the enemy to realize the heavy cavalry has been deployed. Taking advantage of the breaches of formation caused by the light cavalry, Vallenhall's illustrious, armored heavy cavalry will circle the friendly infantry formation and slam into overextended or exposed enemy infantry. Twofold is the Vallian charge, however, unlike the usual smashing impact of other heavy cavalry. Equipping each heavy rider as well with a light pistol, Vallenhall's heavy cavalry are trained to fire while charging, but before their lance is leveled. Again lacking great accuracy, this often still results in the enemy infantry they intend to hit being broken and confused before the cavalry has even made contact. More importantly, this tactic has made Vallenhall's heavy cavalry essentially unrivaled in the field. Able to charge men with even slightly better armor and weapons than themselves, none ever expect- or are able to match- the sudden burst of gunfire from the oncoming charge. Oath to Vallenhall Upon entering the service of the Margrave, recruits attend a cryptic and sacred service in the Ashen Walk. Brought before a shrine dedicated to the soldiers of Vallenhall, constructed from the burnt remains of dozens of pikes, spears, lances, and swords they are made to kneel and deliver an oath administered to them by a brother of the Cindic Reach. "Before my brothers and sisters, I deliver my pledge. I give myself, body and soul, to the fire of Vallenhall. For so long as I stand, so will my brothers and sisters stand. For so long as my brothers and sisters stand, so will Vallenhall stand. For so long as Vallenhall stands, so will I stand. Into each other we are fed. For each other we will fight. Never before each other will we fall. So may I stand, so may my brothers and sisters stand, so may Vallenhall stand for a thousand years and ten thousand more. From the fire will spring my courage. Into the fire will my flesh be dedicated." Upon completion of the oath, recruits traditionally surrender a possession- generally a weapon- to the shrine, where it will be burnt. Though many fresh recruits barely understand the ancient and shrouded faith of Vallenhall's natives, all are eventually accustomed to it and bound eternally to their brothers and sisters in arms by it. Locations Vallenhall originally only encompassed the first castle which an ancient Human tribe had constructed in the region, but has grown organically over the course of the millennia. As such, it now comprises two general regions, with various locations of importance among them. The two general regions recognized within Vallenhall are the Highland Way and Jeron's Fields. The Highland Way Comprised of steep peaks, narrow paths, and rocky valleys the Highland Way represents perhaps the safest workable series of paths connecting Lordaeron proper, the southern plains, and the northern Elven lands. Monopolizing this location very early on, it has always been the heart of Vallenhall and its people. Many locations of importance to Vallenhall have sprung up in the Highland Way, including the effective capital of Vallenhall and seat of the Margrave. The Holdfast The central castle of Vallenhall and the ancestral seat of power for the Vallian family, the Holdfast is one of the oldest, most easily defensible castles built by humankind. Built on a mountainous shelf overlooking a valley deep below, the Holdfast is far too high to be reached by siege weapons from below, and too well guarded by the mountains themselves to be approached directly. Encompassing a mining network below as well as the small towns which often spring up around ancient castles, the Holdfast has never once been toppled or overtaken. Built for defensive perfection rather than aesthetic beauty, the walls are worn stone. No high towers or elegant archways stand as vulnerable points to aerial attack, and every outward-facing wall is lined in levels with slits for riflemen or archers. Its thickest towers are reinforced internally to support cannon fire from within. The Chief's Path While the Holdfast would stand as a difficult castle to besiege were it in the open field, it is the Chief's Path which makes it truly impregnable. Being the widest workable road through the mountains between northern Lordaeron and the Elven lands above, the Vallians went through painstaking efforts over generations to expertly pave and upkeep the road, making it a central lane of trade. No fools were they though, who would allow such a great asset to be freely utilized. Time saw the Chief's Path grow into one of the marvels of modern defensive engineering, a winding series of concentric gatehouses, checkpoints, and stone nests lining the canyon walls above. So thorough was the design, it was often believed the Vallians must have employed Dwarven architects for a similar effect to Ironforge's entirely enclosed defenses. The Ashen Walk Perhaps the only location of spiritual importance to the people of Vallenhall, the Ashen Walk is a secluded valley offshoot from the Chief's Path, well out of the way of prying eyes or trading merchants. Named such for the unpaved road dusted with the ashes of trampled charcoal and cinders, the Ashen Walk was seemingly scoured of life many centuries ago. At its far end sits the humble but stout fortified monastery of the Brothers of the Cindic Reach, the resident religious order of Vallenhall and the spiritual guides of its people. Jeron's Fields Around the base of the mountains within which Vallenhall was first founded spread miles of open, rolling, hilly fields which break further south. Often referred to simply as 'the fields' by natives, Jeron's Fields earned their names for Jeron Vallian, the Margrave who originally drove lingering Trollish tribes out and claimed the land as his own. It was once here that Vallenhall's famous warhorses were trained and much of its peasantry lived, though the presence of the Scourge and diminishing condition of the Margrave's forces have drawn the border inward. Stonebough Springing up around the mouth of the Chief's Path at the foot of the mountains is the prosperous village of Stonebough. Long the site of much of Vallenhall's trade, it has seen a great mixing of Elven and Human cultures for centuries. If a man of Lordaeron wanted to procure any number of magical oddities, or an Elf of the northern lands looked to purchase strong Human arms or Dwarven machinery, Stonebough was the place their business was done. So named for the local fixture at the town center, a highly life-like barren tree carved from stone, the village has grown much smaller in recent years, lacking active trade. Category:Aurelia Locations Category:Autarchy of Aurelia Category:Eastern Plaguelands Locations Category:Places Category:Quel'Anaris Locations Category:Archduchy of Quel'Anaris